Lepidepecreum freycineti, Lowry & Stoddart, 2002

Lowry, J. K. & Stoddart, H. E., 2002, The Lysianassoid Amphipod Genera Lepidepecreoides and Lepidepecreum in Southern Waters (Crustacea: Lysianassidae: Tryphosinae), Records of the Australian Museum 54 (3), pp. 335-364 : 357

Lepidepecreum freycineti n.sp.

Figs. 20–22

Type material. HOLOTYPE, female, ovigerous (8 eggs), 4.0 mm, NMV J47726 ; 4 PARATYPES, NMV J47727 ; 5 PARATYPES, AM P57738; off Freycinet Peninsula , Tasmania, Australia, 42°0.20'S 148°37.70'E, 720 m, coarse shelly sand, WHOI epibenthic sled, M.F. Gomon et al., 27 July 1986, RV Franklin, stn SLOPE 46. —1 PARATYPE, NMV J47728 , S of Point Hicks , Victoria, Australia, 38°19.10'S 149°14.30'E, 600 m, coarse sand, WHOI epibenthic sled, M.F. Gomon et al., 24 July 1986, RV Franklin stn SLOPE 39. —1 PARATYPE, NMV J47729 , off Freycinet Peninsula , Tasmania, Australia, 42°2.20'S 148°38.70'E, 800 m, coarse shelly sand, WHOI epibenthic sled, M.F. Gomon et al., 27 July 1986, RV Franklin, stn SLOPE 45 .

Type locality. Off Freycinet Peninsula , Tasmania, Australia, 42°0.20'S 148°37.70'E, 720 m depth .

Description. Based on holotype female, 4.0 mm. Body expanded to form a lateral bulge. Head with lateral cephalic lobe semidome, apically subacute. Antenna 1 peduncular article 1 with well-developed anterodistally subacute lobe; article 2 without anterodistal lobe; accessory flagellum 2- articulate; flagellum with weak 1-field callynophore; robust setae absent from proximal articles; calceoli absent.Antenna 2 peduncular article 3 elongate; flagellum short, calceoli absent. Epistome/upper lip with epistome produced beyond upper lip (slightly), broadly rounded. Mandible molar columnar with oval, fully triturating surface; mandibular palp attached proximally, article 3 without A3-setae. Maxilla 1 outer plate with left and right setal-tooth 7 asymmetrical, cuspidate distally; palp distal margin with apical robust setae. Maxilliped outer plate with 1 short, slender apical robust seta.

Gnathopod 1 subchelate; coxa large, about as long as coxa 2, subrectangular with straight anterior margin; basis sparsely setose along anterior margin; ischium short; carpus long, subequal in length to propodus, without posterior lobe; propodus margins subparallel, palm acute, entire, straight. Gnathopod 2 palm obtuse (concave). Pereopod 4 coxa without distinct lateral ridge, with a well-developed posteroventral lobe. Pereonite 5 dorsally smooth. Pereopod 5 coxa without distinct lateral ridge, without umbo, basis about as long as broad. Pereopod 7 basis posterodistally produced beyond merus.

Pleonite 1 without mid-dorsal carina, not produced dorsodistally. Pleonite 2 without mid-dorsal carina, not produced dorsodistally. Pleonite 3 with mid-dorsal carina, produced dorsodistally, apically acute, posterodorsal margin not produced. Epimeron 3 posterior margin smooth, posteroventral corner narrowly rounded. Urosomite 1 projecting over urosomite 2, with a narrow vertically produced recurved acute spine. Uropod 3 inner ramus significantly reduced; outer ramus article 2 long; without plumose setae on rami. Telson moderately cleft , with dorsal robust setae, with 1 apical robust seta on each lobe.

Etymology. Named for Louis de Freycinet, Lieutenant- Commander and cartographer on the French corvette Naturaliste and later Commander of the schooner Casuarina which accompanied the Géographe on the latter part of Baudin’s voyage around the Australian coasts in 1802–1803.

Remarks. Lepidepecreum freycineti is also one of a group of seven species in which the basis of pereopod 7 is developed beyond the merus. It is similar to L. clypeatum , L. clypodentatum and L. subclypeatum in having a anterodistal lobe on peduncular article 1 of antenna 1. Lepidepecreum freycineti and L. clypodentatum are the only two species of this group without an anterodistal lobe on article 2. These two species are easily distinguished by the dorsodistal projections on pleonites 1 and 2 in L. clypodentatum .

Distribution. Southeastern Australia, Tasman Sea; 600–800 m depth.

Figures

Figure 20. Lepidepecreum freycineti n.sp. Holotype female,

Figure 21. Lepidepecreum freycineti n.sp. Holotype female, 4.0 mm, NMV J47726, Freycinet Peninsula,Australia. Scales represent 0.1 mm

Figure 22. Lepidepecreum freycineti n.sp. Holotype female, 4.0 mm, NMV J47726, Freycinet Peninsula,Australia. Scales for U1–3, T represent 0.1 mm, remainder represent 0.2 mm.